ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana snapped a six game losing streak with an 8-1 win over Wheaton in the second game of a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin double header on Saturday, April 13 at Carver Field. The Vikings dropped the first game 6-3 in 10 innings to the Thunder.
 
Augustana is now 13-17 overall and 2-6 in the CCIW while Wheaton moved to 15-15 and 6-4 in league play.
 
GAME 1: Wheaton 6, Augustana 3
 
The Thunder pushed across three runs in the top of the 10^th inning off reliever Erin Smith (Columbine HS, Highlands Ranch, Colo.) to beat Augustana in the first game. The big hit in the inning was a single off the bat of Melissa Meiners that plated two Wheaton runners.
 
Wheaton scored a single run in the top of the third inning to take a 1-0 lead off Viking starter Kelcie Fredrickson (Fisher HS, Foosland, Ill.) but the hosts came back with two runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 2-1 lead. Senior left fielder Taylor Belo (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.) singled and stole second. Freshman Claire Weeks (Dundee-Crown HS, Sleepy Hollow, Ill.) singles with Belo staying at second and then junior shortstop Alyssa Klahn (Lincoln-Way Central HS, New Lenox, Ill.) singled in Belo. A single by senior second baseman Haley Ruch (Lincoln-Way East HS, Mokena, Ill.) brought home Weeks for the 2-1 advantage.
 
In the top of the sixth Wheaton pitcher Kelly Thornton homered leading off to tie the game. The Thunder eventually scored a second run on a single to right by right fielder Maddie Craver.
 
Down 3-2, the Vikings scratched out the tying run in the sixth when Klahn led off with a single. She gave way to pinch runner Josie Smith (Wheaton St. Francis HS, Wheaton, Ill.). Smith was moved over on a sacrifice by Ruch and she moved to third on a wild pitch. She scored the tying run on a single to center by freshman Ashley Dehmlow (McHenry West HS, Spring Grove, Ill.).
 
The two teams went scoreless until the 10^th when Wheaton scored the three runs that proved decisive.
 
GAME 2: Augustana 8, Wheaton 1
 
The Vikings used home runs off the bats of Wilson and Dehmlow to spark an offense that collected nine hits in an 8-1 win over the Thunder in the second game of the double header.
 
Augustana jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third Dehmlow hit a leadoff home run and Wilson followed one out later with another towering blast to center field.
 
The Vikings put three runs on the board in the top of the fourth. Freshman Nichole Nash (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) led off with a walk and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior Marissa Catalano (Lake Park HS, Medinah, Ill.). A single off the bat of junior Dina Falk (Lake Park HS, Bloomingdale, Ill.) and a throwing error allowed Nash to score and Falk ended up at second base. Falk stole third and eventually came home on a wild pitch. Belo walked after Falk and she scored when she worked a double steal with Wilson, who was on first base after a base on balls.
 
In the fifth a single off the bat of sophomore pinch hitter Kaitlin Rusin (Carl Sandburg HS, Orland Park, Ill.) drove in Klahn, who reached on a walk.
 
The Vikings ended their scoring in the sixth when Wilson doubled with Belo on second base. Belo scored on Wilson's hit and when the throw to catch Wilson going to third went wide, Wilson scampered home with the eighth run of the game.
 
Sophomore Cecelia Peine (Wentzville Holt HS, Wentzville, Mo.) worked the first four innings and gave up just three hits and struck out four. She earned the victory and Dehmlow came on in relief